5 software documentation tools that make managing technical documentation easier

We live in a world of innovation and every newly developed technology seeks to make both our life and work easier and more comfortable. With so many people doing business online, there is a need to create a large amount of content for your website. Documentation software tools are therefore the right choice for those who want a powerful aid in creating, publishing, and maintaining technical documentation.

However, the question still remains as to which of the multiple online documentation tools available on the Internet is the best. Some of them are very advanced and combine different options, while others lag behind. Below is a list of the world’s top rated documentation software tools.

What is software documentation?

Software Documentation is written, graphical, or video descriptions of the Company’s computer software. The purpose of software documentation is generally to explain how to use some service. Software documentation is intended for specific audiences and can vary considerably.

The main software documentation types are:

• requirement. These software documents are usually created in the first stages of software development. Requirements help specify expectations about the software to be created. They identify characteristics, functional requirements, limitations, etc.
• Architecture document. It is a kind of map of software that allows the user to understand the structure of the created product. The architecture document aims to describe the major elements involved in the system, their functions and data.
• technical documentation. This type of document is intended for technical personnel, such as software developers. Technical documentation represents software code, interfaces, algorithms, APIs, etc.
• End-user documentation. These are primarily instructions that help the end user understand how to apply the product.

Why an online documentation tool is essential

Thanks to online document tools, it is possible to organize all company documents and materials and provide access to them to all employees, including those living in other countries and continents.

We all know that the online work process can be efficient and pleasant only when all items are well organized. These are online document tools that help improve your online business and make your work easier. The reasons for using software documentation tools are obvious. Using them gives you the following advantages:

• Perfect data management and accessibility. Until recently, people kept their files in filing cabinets. Thanks to the alphabetical order, finding the documents wasn’t too difficult. However, large databases and their constant expansion can create many problems in data management and waste a lot of time searching. Online software documentation tools help you find the files and documents you need in seconds. Just type the information you need into the search bar and our online documentation tool will do it all.
• Makes it easier to fix mistakes. Working digitally means that mistakes can be corrected online quickly. Now you don’t have to print the document, fix it, and reprint it after you realize you made a mistake.
• better customer support. Our customer support team may not be able to address all your questions or issues. In this case, companies usually create FAQ pages, and that’s where the online documentation comes in very handy. In fact, online documentation allows users to solve their own problems.
• high security. Online documentation tools always create and save backups. Cloud-based online documentation makes your database even more secure. This is because it is up to the user who can or cannot access the document.

5 best software documentation tools

There are many different types of documentation software tools on the market. They differ in feature selection, pricing, and implementation. Here are some of the most popular options:

1. Click Help

ClickHelp is advanced browser-based technical documentation software used to create and host tutorials, user manuals, knowledge bases, and other materials.

Developed as a SaaS solution, it’s easy to set up and doesn’t require you to go through an installation process. ClickHelp is one of the most powerful documentation tools available, perfect for working with large projects.

You can easily export and import your content, and it also offers great performance metrics to help you understand exactly how your team is performing. Another advantage is full-text search that allows readers to find topics in seconds. Get all the answers you need with anytime access to our password-protected online help. Even better, ClickHelp supports his Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

Strong Points:

• It features over 20 integrations.
• Supports a wide variety of technical documents.
• Extensive customization features.
• Comes with 30+ metrics for content analysis and reporting.
• Supports multiple editorial roles (author, reviewer, etc.). It has an advanced search engine.

Cons:

• There is no support for custom domains as part of the basic plan.

2. Document 360

Document360 is a widely used SaaS platform used to build a knowledge base for internal users and customers. With the help of Document360, you can create, publish, and edit content in real time.

The software offers various customization features, discussion boards, security tools, product catalog, version control, and more. This solution gives you access to extensive taxonomy features, making it easier to maintain good structure in your documents.

Strong Points:

• Provides various formatting tools including callouts, code blocks, and more.
• We offer a variety of customization opportunities according to brand guidelines.
• Available search engines are powered by AI.
• It features a WYSIWYG editor for quick content creation.
• You can select a role to edit technical documentation.
• Provides tools for advanced classification.

Cons:

• The price may be too high for small businesses.

3. Knowledge Owl

Knowledge Owl was created as a knowledge management solution for different types of businesses. It is cloud-based software, and its main features include not only knowledge base creation, but also reporting capabilities, rich navigation tools, user management, and more.

You can use categories and subcategories to better organize your information. Also, tags make it easier to find documents. This solution is easy to set up and allows you to customize how technical documentation is displayed.

Strong Points:

• Provides a complex classification system for technical documents.
• You can provide different user rights (you can control who can edit and access your files).
• It has the ability to display related content.
• With convenient auto-suggest function.
• You can restrict access to specific documents.
• Provide a feedback function that allows you to check the performance of your content.

Cons:

• The software does not offer other languages.
• Less customization features than competitors.

4. Help Juice

This is another piece of software on the list worthy of your attention. Whether you need to create and manage an external or internal knowledge base, this solution will help you do just that. This cloud-based knowledge base tool is accessible with no configuration and easy to use.

This documentation software tool has a wide variety of styling and design tools that are very useful for writing QA. You can tag questions, track searches for specific topics, and see the most frequently referenced articles. The knowledge base solution is well organized and has many customizable features.

Strong Points:

• I have an approval or edit workflow.
• It comes with a detailed editor with many formatting options.
• It offers many out-of-the-box themes and the opportunity to customize them.
• It has an effective search function.
• Provides information about content performance.
• Support multiple languages.

Cons:

• Adding photos is quite a hassle.
• The price may be too high for some users.

HelpNDoc

Last but not least, another knowledge base software to mention is HelpNDoc. This is a help authoring tool that can be used to generate documentation in many formats from a single source.

HelpNDoc can be used to host and author technical documentation and its features ensure that it is well maintained and kept up to date.

This solution makes it easy to create CHM and HTML help files. The same applies to PDF manuals, Kindle eBooks, ePub files, etc. HelpNDoc includes a template engine, project analyzer, media library, and more.

Strong Points:

• It offers a wealth of customization features.
• Offers a wide range of formatting tools (tables, callouts, HTML blocks, etc.).
• It has a high quality search function.
• Provide information on how to receive the document.
• Provides different roles for users to work on documents simultaneously.
• Access to selected templates makes it easy to get started.

Cons:

• More expensive if you want a plan with multiple languages ​​and other features, such as access control.

Take advantage of software documentation tools

There are many software documentation tools available on the market today. It’s important to choose the right one based on your needs, how much you are willing to pay, and the features you want. All the software options mentioned in this article, especially his ClickHelp, have received positive reviews and offer many useful features. You can choose according to your preference and usage.